How to Get a Florida Real Estate License

The Florida Licensing Process, Step by Step

To get a Florida real estate sales associate license, you complete the 63-hour pre-license course, apply to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), get electronically fingerprinted, pass the state exam through Pearson VUE, and then have a Florida broker activate your license. After that, you have 45 hours of post-licensing education to finish before your first renewal.

Below we break down each step, the rules behind it, and the path from sales associate to broker. Fees and procedures change, so confirm current figures with DBPR’s Division of Real Estate before you pay for anything.

Who Can Get a Florida Real Estate License?

Under section 475.17, Florida Statutes, an applicant must be at least 18 years old and hold a high school diploma or its equivalent.

Every applicant also goes through a fingerprint-based background check. If you have a criminal record, answer the application’s background questions completely and accurately. For questions about how your history may affect eligibility, talk to a licensed attorney.

Step 1: Complete the 63-Hour Pre-License Course

The sales associate pre-license course, known as FREC Course I, is 63 classroom hours of 50 minutes each, including the end-of-course exam, under s. 475.17. You can take it in a classroom, live online or self-paced online through a FREC-approved school.

• The course covers Florida license law, agency, contracts, property rights, financing, appraisal basics, closing math and fair housing.
• You must pass the school’s course exam to receive a completion certificate. Keep that certificate; you bring it to the state exam.
• Exemptions: DBPR lists attorneys and holders of a 4-year or higher degree in real estate as exempt from the pre-license course.

Step 2: Apply to DBPR and Get Fingerprinted

You can apply to DBPR before or while you take the course, and many students apply early so the background check is done by the time they finish. Apply online through the DBPR licensing portal at myfloridalicense.com.

1. Create an account and submit the sales associate application with the fee.
2. Get electronically fingerprinted through a Livescan provider approved by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), right after you submit the application. Give the provider the ORI number DBPR lists for real estate sales associates and brokers; DBPR warns that a missing or wrong ORI number means it will not receive your results. Keep your receipt.
3. Watch your email. Once the application and background check are approved, you become eligible to schedule the state exam.

DBPR says it usually receives Livescan results 2 to 4 days after the scan and keeps the results for 12 months. Fees differ by source and change over time, so check DBPR’s current fee schedule rather than relying on a school’s blog post.

Step 3: Pass the State Exam Through Pearson VUE

The Florida sales associate exam is given by Pearson VUE and has 100 multiple-choice questions, and you need a score of 75 to pass. Larson Educational Services, a Florida pre-license school, describes the breakdown as 45 questions on real estate principles and practices, 45 on Florida and federal law, and 10 math questions.

• What to bring: Two forms of signed identification (one a government-issued photo ID), your course completion certificate and your exam reservation confirmation.
• Results: You receive your score report when you finish.
• If you fail: You can reschedule and pay the retake fee. Review the weak areas listed on your score report before you try again.

The best preparation is the math and the license law. Practice the closing cost, proration and commission calculations until they are automatic.

Step 4: Activate Your License With a Broker

A Florida sales associate can only practice real estate under a licensed broker. After you pass the exam, a Florida broker must activate your license before you can list or show property for compensation.

Questions to ask before you choose a brokerage:

• What training and mentoring do new agents get in the first 90 days?
• How are leads generated and shared, and who pays for marketing?
• What are the monthly fees and how is compensation split?
• What local markets does the brokerage focus on, such as Estero, Fort Myers or Naples?

Since August 17, 2024, Realtors must have a written buyer agreement before touring homes with a buyer. Learn how to explain those agreements early, because buyers will ask.

Step 5: Finish 45 Hours of Post-Licensing Education

New sales associates must complete at least 45 classroom hours of post-licensing education before their first renewal, according to DBPR. Under s. 475.17, if you miss that deadline your license becomes null and void, and you would have to take the pre-license course and pass the state exam again to practice.

• DBPR notes that post-licensing courses do not count as continuing education and may not show on your online record, so keep a paper copy of your completion certificate.
• Holders of a 4-year or higher real estate degree are exempt from post-licensing. Attorneys are not exempt from post-licensing.

Continuing Education After Your First Renewal

After your first renewal, Florida requires 14 hours of continuing education for each renewal cycle: 3 hours of Core Law, 3 hours of Ethics and Business Practices, and 8 hours of specialty education, per DBPR. Renewal must be completed before midnight Eastern on the license expiration date.

Note the order: the 45-hour post-licensing course covers your first renewal, and the 14-hour continuing education cycle starts with the renewals after that. Set a reminder months before your expiration date.

The Florida Broker License Path

To become a Florida broker, you need at least 24 months of active licensed experience during the preceding 5 years, then a 72-hour broker pre-license course (FREC Course II) and the broker exam, under s. 475.17. The experience can come from an active sales associate license under a broker, a sales associate license while employed by a government agency, or a broker license in another jurisdiction.

Requirement	Sales associate	Broker
Pre-license course	63 hours (Course I)	72 hours (Course II)
Experience	None	24 months active in the preceding 5 years
Post-licensing (before first renewal)	45 hours	60 hours
Continuing education (each later renewal)	14 hours	14 hours

A Florida sales associate must also have finished the sales associate post-licensing education before becoming a broker. A broker who misses broker post-licensing can, under the statute, drop to a sales associate license by completing the 14-hour continuing education course within 6 months after expiration.

More Questions About Florida Real Estate Licensing

What score do I need on the Florida real estate exam?

A 75. The sales associate exam has 100 multiple-choice questions, including about 10 math questions.

How long are my fingerprints good for?

DBPR keeps fingerprint results for 12 months, and FDLE keeps the prints themselves for 180 days. If your prints expire before you apply, you need new ones, and prints cannot be shared between professions.

What happens if I don’t finish post-licensing in time?

Your sales associate license becomes null and void under s. 475.17. To practice again, you must retake the pre-license course and pass the state exam.

Can I skip the pre-license course?

Only if you are a Florida attorney or hold a 4-year or higher degree in real estate, according to DBPR. Everyone else takes Course I.

Thinking About a Career in Southwest Florida Real Estate?

If you are getting licensed and want to talk about working in the Estero, Fort Myers and Naples markets, reach out. Call or text Sal DiBenedetto, licensed real estate broker with The DiBe Group, brokered by eXp Realty, at 239-256-5005, or send us a message. Learn more about our team, see the services we offer, and visit our real estate hub to see the buying and selling process from the client’s side.